For Every Season (15 page)

He set the brake. “Maybe
He
will appreciate my jokes.”

“I think He’s heard them already.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Once out of the rig and at the Cranfords’ front door, she waved to Jacob as he drove away.

She tiptoed inside, expecting Bob and Camilla to be retired to their bedroom, either sleeping or watching television, but she noticed the living room lights were on. She passed her bedroom and went to speak to whoever was still up.

Camilla was in a wingback chair, smiling and talking. Bob was near her, and both were engaged in a conversation with someone Rhoda couldn’t see. Bob was laughing and talking at the same time, relaying a story of some kind. She’d never heard him like this before. Maybe she should go on to bed since they had company.

Camilla spotted her. “Rhoda, dear.” She gestured. “We were waiting for you.”

“We?”

She stepped into the room, and fear shot through her.
Samuel!
She glanced behind her, making sure Jacob hadn’t changed his mind about coming in. He wouldn’t like his brother walking to the Cranfords’ to see her. “What are you doing here?” She hoped she sounded polite enough since Bob and Camilla were in the room.

He rose. “We need to talk.”

There was a cup and saucer on the end table beside him. He’d been here long enough to share at least one cup of coffee with the Cranfords. “Something that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

“Maybe. I wasn’t sure.”

Camilla got up. “We’ll give you two a few minutes, unless that’s not enough and we should say good night now.”

Rhoda’s nerves were on edge. She didn’t want to be alone with Samuel for one moment longer than necessary in case Jacob did return. “No, I’m sure we only need a few minutes.”

Bob grinned. “Good. Samuel and I have been discussing the many ways one can fish in Maine.”

While Bob and Camilla disappeared into the kitchen, Rhoda removed her coat. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“If Jacob finds out I’m here, he’ll blame me, not you.”

She hung her jacket on the coatrack. “That’s no consolation. Is it supposed to be?” She was doing her best not to come between the brothers. They had been every bit as close as she and Emma. When she turned back toward Samuel, she saw Emma behind him.

Samuel looked over his shoulder. Apparently he’d read her face. Did he have any idea what she saw time and again? Would he think she was crazy? She shook off the vision.

“What’s going on, Samuel?”

He gestured toward the couch, and Rhoda sat down.

Samuel leaned forward in the wingback chair next to her. “Your Daed called about ninety minutes ago.”

“What’s wrong?” She hadn’t spoken to him in weeks, but she’d written. Letters kept her from slipping up and revealing more than she intended and also kept her Daed from hearing any uncomfortable tone or stress in her voice. He’d written to her too.

“Your Uncle James is in the hospital. He had a heart attack Saturday afternoon. When your Daed was called yesterday, they thought he might not make it—”

Her heart raced. “How is he?”

“There’s only good news.”

Relief eased through her, and she was glad Samuel had chosen to come to the house rather than call. It wasn’t his words that brought her comfort as much as seeing in his eyes that he believed what he said.

Samuel sat back in his chair. “He’s doing a lot better today than yesterday,
so your Daed was glad about that. The doctors are going to do some kind of procedure and put him on medications. Both will help prevent him from having another heart attack, and he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

“Gut. I’m happy to hear it. My Daed and Uncle James are very close.”

“As were you and your Daed. When you and I met, you were as close to him as any daughter I’ve ever seen. Don’t you need to regain that?”

She wanted to. It just wasn’t that simple. Since the day she’d left Pennsylvania, she’d had Jacob’s secrets to hide. But she didn’t appreciate Samuel questioning her about it, especially on the heels of the news he’d brought. “Is that why you came here? To correct me?”

Disbelief and frustration registered on his face. “I’m going to spare us an argument by ignoring that.” He intertwined his fingers and let out a slow sigh. “There’s one more thing. Your Daed phoned last night while you were out with Jacob, and he knows you’re living here. He sounded hurt that you hadn’t told him.”

“What? How?”

“Iva didn’t know it was a secret.”

Rhoda was sick of the word
secret
. “Iva didn’t need to know. We told her not to answer the phone. So why did she?”

“I asked her that, only more gently. She said she was in the office yesterday, and the phone kept ringing. He was ending his calls before the answering machine could pick up, and then he would call back. She thought it was an emergency.”

“And clearly it was, but then she forgot to tell anyone?”

“He didn’t mention your uncle to her. Your Daed simply told her to have you call him. She left a message on the desk, and she intended to tell Jacob when he arrived home, but he came in late, and she was asleep. Then today, with it being a church Sunday, no one went to the office, and Iva didn’t think to relay it. When your Daed didn’t hear from you, he tried again. This time I was in the barn feeding the livestock, so I picked up.”

“I’ll call my Daed before going to bed.”

Samuel propped his chin on his fist. “When you started working with us in Harvest Mills, you called him every day and had Landon take you home
every Saturday afternoon. Since we moved here, you rarely call him, you refuse to let him come because he’d find out that Jacob went into hiding, and now he learns you’ve moved out. Have you talked to Jacob about how his situation is affecting your relationship with your Daed?”

“No, and you won’t either. He’s dealing with all he can, and he’s doing what’s needed to get his problems straight. What more do you want from—”

Camilla returned to the living room with a pot of coffee in one hand and an empty cup and saucer in the other. “It’s decaf.” She held up the pot. Samuel lifted his cup from the side table and moved to Camilla.

“Thank you.” He went to the couch and sat beside Rhoda. Why had he done that?

Camilla poured coffee into the empty cup. “I put a bit of sugar and cream in it for you.”

Rhoda eased it from Camilla’s hand. “Thank you.” She picked up the spoon that lay on the saucer.

Camilla removed the dishcloth from her shoulder and laid it on the coffee table before setting the carafe on it. “I’d just pulled a cake out of the oven when Samuel arrived. It’s cool enough now to frost. If you’ll give us a few minutes to make the frosting and put the layers together, I’d love to share it with you.”

Rhoda stirred her coffee. “That’s really nice of you, but none for me. I’m not far from turning in for the night.”

Bob sat in the wingback chair and started talking to Samuel.

While the aroma of cake swirled in the air, an insight swept through Rhoda, and she saw Camilla making a cake for her son on his ninth birthday. But then snapshot after snapshot flashed in her mind as the boy grew into a young man. Emotions pounded like a force she imagined was reserved for the likes of Niagara Falls. Images continued to come at her. “Stop,” Rhoda hissed under her breath.

All eyes turned to her.

Mortified, Rhoda wasn’t sure what to say.

Samuel set his coffee on the saucer. “I brought her some sobering news about her uncle’s health and how her Daed is feeling since he’s close to his brother. I’m sure her emotions are a bit unsettled. That’s all.”

Bob cleared his throat, smiling. “We all deal with difficult news differently … So, Samuel, have you ever fished for salmon?”

The conversation picked up again. Even Camilla joined in with the men. But the longer Rhoda sat there, the stronger she sensed she needed to do something. But what?

She turned to Samuel. “It’s like the moments before the tornado came through.”

Samuel studied her. “What is it about?”

“Camilla.”

Camilla set her cup and saucer on the coffee table. “Is everything okay?”

Samuel nodded. “Sure. Except maybe we should have a slice of that cake after all. If you don’t mind.”

“Cake it is.” The words leaving Camilla’s mouth and the look of doubt in her eyes didn’t match. “It’ll take us a few minutes.” She seemed unable to take her eyes off Rhoda as she and Bob left the room.

Rhoda buried her head in her hands. “She thinks I’m a cracked pot.”

“You came on really strong, talking to yourself, whispering to me when they could hear at least some of what you were saying.”

She lived with these people. If she freaked them out like she did herself, where could she go?

Samuel leaned in. “What’s happening?”

Despite his excuse to Bob and Camilla that the news about her uncle was the reason for her behavior, he knew better.

“She has a grandchild. I know she does, and she must wonder about it too, because she’s been searching the Internet for her deceased son’s girlfriend. She’s looking for someone named Jojo.”

“And you just
know
this?”

She nodded.

His eyes were wide. “No wonder you have times of struggling with who you are. Of all the gifts God gives, this one is scary, and it feels dark.”

Only Emma had viewed the gift as he did, and his words brought comfort. “Exactly. It scares me too.”

“Sure it does.”

“My Daed and the church leaders hate it.”

“Are any of us comfortable with it? But God didn’t ask your Daed or the bishop or Jacob or me or even you what we thought about you having such a gift. I understand the concerns we feel. Scammers and profiteers often abuse such things.”

“And the soothsayer slave girl in the Bible had a demon cast out of her.”

“You shouldn’t worry about that part.”

What?
He’d said that so matter-of-factly. She wanted to yank him by his shirt collar and yell,
Do you know what you’re saying?
Instead, she measured her tone. “Why?”

“We can’t disqualify what’s real because counterfeiters exist. If that were the case, there wouldn’t have been disciples or teachers of God’s Word.”

“Why haven’t you told me before now that this is how you feel?”

He shrugged. “We’re muddling through this while we’re talking, and I’m realizing some of this as we go. Look, you shouldn’t keep putting up roadblocks to receiving things. Haven’t you wondered why you didn’t pick up on what those girls were doing in the greenhouses before they lied, saying you laced your herbal teas with marijuana?”

“Ya, sure. I still don’t know the answer.”

“I’d like to take a stab. Is it because you suppress your gift to the point you won’t even read body language?” He paused, and when she didn’t answer, he continued. “God knows all and sees all. If He chooses to let you in on something, I think you need to relax and let yourself hear what He’s trying to tell you.”

She’d spent her life trying to outrun the premonitions. Sometimes she succeeded. Other times she didn’t. Her heart pounded as his words echoed inside her. She would like to at least read body language. Then she’d understand Jacob better. “I keep seeing Emma.”

“Related to the premonitions?”

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Completely. I have no doubts about that, and I know it’s not really her I’m seeing. The dead don’t return from heaven. But it’s been three years since she
was murdered. Why can’t I get past whatever part of my grief makes me see her?”

Compassion radiated from him. “I wish I knew, but if she’s not connected to your premonitions, why are you bringing it up now?”

She shrugged. “Hoping you’d have an answer, I guess.”

“Sorry. I’m clueless.”

She fidgeted with one of the strings to her prayer Kapp. “I hate when something like this Jojo issue comes to me.”

“You try so hard
not
to hear. Why not try
hearing
?”

As if brought to life by Samuel’s encouragement, the word
Dumont
shouted inside her.

Even after all Samuel had said, her gut reaction was to resist. She closed her eyes. “Because it’s terrifying, Samuel. And because I’d rather not know anything than give in to this and share what I think when I could be wrong.”

“You have a gift for horticulture, and you don’t get all out of sorts when you’re wrong about some plant idea or you spend months trying to cultivate something that doesn’t work. You chalk it up to learning and keep going.”

“This is completely different, and you know it.”

“I doubt it’s as different as you think. You work with your plants and herbs, not against them. Try that with your sense of knowing. And trust that whatever else your gift is, it’s not evil.”

Despite the avalanche of skepticism inside her against his reasoning, Samuel’s words rang with truth. She’d known that, and yet because her church leaders and family believed it was wrong, she only trusted herself to act on her premonitions when they overwhelmed her. Maybe now, armed with this new perspective, she could trust them more.

Fresh caution waved its flag. Wasn’t it odd, maybe even inappropriate, for Samuel and her to be this close, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, after what had happened a few weeks back? She had needed answers, and he was good at helping her find them, but they should part now.

“Denki, Samuel.” She tried to find her smile. “But you should eat the cake and go.”

He gave a nod, as if he’d been thinking the same thing.

Camilla walked in carrying two plates, each with cake and a fork. Bob was behind her carrying two plates also.

Would they accept what she needed to say to them? Or would they consider her mentally unstable and ask her to move out?

Rhoda stood. “Camilla, I need to tell you something.” She took the plates from her and set them on the coffee table.

Camilla glanced at Samuel, a hint of suspicion flickering through her eyes. “Okay.”

Rhoda drew a deep breath. “Since we talked about you having a son named Zachary, I think you’ve been looking for the girlfriend he had when he died.”